12 Canada Christmas Tours Worth Booking

1.Quebec City: Christmas Magic Walking Tour in Old Quebec

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 146 reviews · 2 hours · from $28Our pick

Walk through Old Quebec for two hours with a licensed guide in period costume. See Château Frontenac, Dufferin Terrace, Notre-Dame-de-Québec Basilica, and Place Royale while hearing French Canadian history and Christmas traditions. English and French tours run daily, rain or shine, with a small hot chocolate included.

“Loved the history and enthusiasm of the guide!!! Would highly recommend for all!!!!”

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2.Christmas Magic in Old Quebec

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 61 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $28

Spend about two hours walking through Old Quebec with an English-speaking guide. Visit the German Christmas Market, Château Frontenac, Notre-Dame de Quebec Basilica-Cathedral, and Petit-Champlain. The tour includes market samples and hot chocolate, though the focus can lean toward Quebec City history as much as Christmas traditions.

“Fun tour of Quebec City, mixing history with Christmas storytelling. The guide was very knowledgeable of the city, and dressed the part. Highly recommended!”

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3.Victoria and Butchart Gardens Christmas Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 43 reviews · from $203

Spend about 12 hours traveling from Vancouver to Victoria by coach and BC Ferries. You’ll explore the Inner Harbour and Government Street, then see Butchart Gardens lit for Christmas. Guides such as Dave Rogers, Leslie, Andy, and Jack have been praised for lively local stories and helpful timing tips.

“Really good tour! I enjoyed the ferry ride through the Gulf Islands (so pretty) and went to the shops (Munro Books) and the Museum on Government Street. The highlight was the Butchart Gardens Christmas lights which were beautiful! I really enjoyed the tour and the fact we had free time to explore how we wanted to. Andy was a great tour guide - letting us know in advance where the washrooms and places to eat would be - things like that just put your mind at ease! He also very kindly dropped me back at my Airbnb which was nice as it was a late night!”

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4.Old Montréal Small-Group Christmas Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 39 reviews · 1h 30m · from $25

Walk from Victoria Square to Bonsecours Market with an English or French speaking guide, learning about Christmas customs from New France. Along the way, see holiday decorations at Old Montréal shops, museums, and hotel lobbies, visit the Santa Claus display at Montréal’s World Trade Center, and pass Notre-Dame Basilica and Place d’Armes.

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5.Christmas Walking Tour in Old Montreal

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 28 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $26

This 90-minute evening walk begins at Victoria Square and ends at Bonsecours Market. A local guide such as Matthieu, Matt, François, or Stamatia leads you past holiday displays, historic architecture, the World Trade Center Santa exhibit, and Montreal Christmas traditions. Expect a small group of up to 16, plenty of outdoor walking, and cold-weather conditions.

“It was great to learn about the architecture, history, and some of the flavor of old Montreal. Our tour guide presented clearly and answered questions. The night was quite cold and the tour was mostly outside, She was creative in finding a warmer interior when we were all half frozen! The one thing that was a bit misleading was the title (Christmas Walking ...) and attached holiday image. The tour was perhaps 50% of that and 50% history. Well done but we expected more of the holiday end of things.”

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6.Vancouver Christmas Lights Karaoke Trolley Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 21 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $53

Join a three-hour evening ride through Vancouver with live commentary, holiday karaoke, snacks, and stops at Stanley Park, Gastown, Robson Street, English Bay, St. Paul’s Hospital, and VanDusen Botanical Garden. Hosts Bray and Jay help keep the enclosed trolley-bus lively. The ticket includes VanDusen admission and a donation to the BC Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund.

“Always fun to go Caroline and see the amazing lights at VanDuesen. We were a bit confused about the pick-up, the address given wasn't the correct address, so we saw trolleys turning down a street and followed it to the place where we boarded.”

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7.Quebec: German Christmas Market Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 15 reviews · 1h 30m · from $34

Spend 90 minutes walking Quebec City’s German Christmas Market with a French- and English-speaking guide. You’ll learn how the market began in 2008, compare Quebec and German Christmas customs, and sample glühwein, a pretzel, and stollen. Meet in front of the Tourist Information Center, and dress for cold, wet, or snowy weather.

“Was great!!! Our guide was amazing and upbeat even though it was -25 and some were freezing. He kept us all going!!!”

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8.Vancouver Holiday Festive Dinner Cruises

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 12 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $163

Set sail from 501 Denman Street at 7 p.m. for a 2.5-hour holiday dinner cruise around Vancouver Harbour. You’ll enjoy a full festive buffet, coffee or tea, live holiday favourites, and views of False Creek, Stanley Park, English Bay, Lions Gate Bridge, and the Vancouver Seawall. Drinks cost extra, and seating is reserved.

“The evening was awesome even though it rained most of the evening. The views around the bay were spectacular as we cruised around all evening. The staff on the boat were friendly and attentive all evening. We had a lovely young girl that looked after us all night, she was helpful, friendly and a great bubbly personality, so Thank you Allysandra! The evening was so much fun with music and dancing, great wine and excellent food. A wonderful pre Christmas evening so far away from home!”

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9.Toronto: Festive Lights Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 11 reviews · 1h 30m · from $36

Spend 75 to 90 minutes touring Toronto by bus, with views of Nathan Phillips Square, the Financial District, and Yorkville lit for the holidays. An English-speaking guide provides live city history and seasonal stories. Upper-level seating is included, but limited seats are first come, first served. Festive treats are included.

“it was ok! service and staff great, but tour not really good, was expecting holiday lights all over, but light i only saw 5%. they should offer this tour as a regular city tour not a holiday lights tour, because is none of that”

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10.Vancouver: Christmas Lights Karaoke Trolley Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 9 reviews · 150 minutes - 3 hours · from $52

Ride a Christmas-lit trolley through Vancouver while singing holiday favorites with hosts such as Lynn, Ryan, or Dan. The route includes Stanley Park, English Bay, and VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Festival of Lights. Expect live commentary, photo stops, and a cheerful group atmosphere. Dress warmly, since the trolley can feel cold.

“It was such an unexpected and joyful experience. We only went because it was my sister’s birthday wish for the whole family to join, but once we were there, the atmosphere was so lively and joyful, with everyone singing along. I believe a lot of that energy came from the tour guide and the driver, they were both incredibly entertaining and clearly loved what they do. Although the tour is advertised as lasting about three hours, it honestly felt like minutes to me. It’s not something I would have chosen on my own, but I’m so glad we went. I’d happily do it all over again next year. Definitely go…”

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11.Montreal: Christmas Lights Private Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $93Top rated

Meet Gustavo or another multilingual guide at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, then walk through downtown, the Underground City, Place des Arts, Old Montreal, and the Old Port. You’ll hear local stories, pause indoors to warm up, and finish beside the Saint Lawrence River. Private tours run in English, French, Portuguese, or Spanish.

“Gustavo was absolutely incredible! Highly recommend doing this your first night if possible because he pointed out a lot of things for us to do during our stay. Very friendly and knowledgeable.”

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12.Quebec: Christmas Interactive Walking Tour of New France

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 7 reviews · 1 hour · from $23Best value

Meet your English- or French-speaking guide at La Fresque des Québécois for a one-hour walk through Lower Quebec City. Along cobbled side streets, costumed characters share unusual New France Christmas customs, folk cures, and winter stories. Valerie has led at least one praised evening, though guides and performers may vary.

“I took the tour on December 23 at 7:00 p.m. with Valerie, and it was the best experience I had in Quebec. Highly recommended for families with children or teenagers. The actresses were outstanding, the performances were excellent, and the stories were told with impressive quality. A truly immersive experience, crafted with great attention to detail. Congratulations to the entire team for such a wonderful experience!”

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